July 1st CSA & Market Report

  What a beautiful day we had on Saturday.  Nearly every farmer I spoke with commented on what a lovely market day it was - I think it might actually be Summer.  I can almost taste the tomato salads.  Speaking of tomatoes, my tomato plants are really starting to flower and we have about 20 tomatoes of various shapes and sizes.  This Cherokee Purple is one of my favorites - I managed to snap a picture of him in between rainstorms this morning. 

My CSA box this week contained a bag of lettuce mix (still don't have that salad spinner), a bunch of beets (yum!), some Swiss chard, some mint (which Ms. Sterret instructed me was for the use of mojito making and drinking over the holiday weekend), and 1/2 dozen eggs.  Other market buys included blueberries, raspberries, sweet cherries, a ton of sour cherries, some kale, cucumbers, baby zucchini, more beets, lots of sugar snap peas (my current favorite vegetable), a few "plain old" tomatoes (no heirlooms yet - these are still shelter/hothouse from Wishwell farms), lots of spring onions and scallions, and some broccoli. 

I was also pleased to see someone new (to me) at the North Market Farmer's Market - Quiver Full Family Farm, which sells fresh, local cornmeal and whole wheat.  Farmer Jim Barr explained to me that they grind their corn while it still contains moisture, which leaves the germ alive and full of nutrients - and means the cornmeal must be refrigerated.  Commercial grinders heat the corn to dry it out (for preservation), which kills the germ and many of the nutrients therein.  Fascinating.  I will use it soon for some cornmeal raspberry muffins, I believe.  The cornmeal was $4 for a 2 pound bag.  I usually buy my cornmeal wholesale from Chef, who buys it from Anson Mills, so I don't know how that compares with other prices.  Next week I'll have to try some wheat.  Now, we just need a dairy farmer out there!!  Any volunteers?